Musings, laments, and advice on life with a kid on the autism spectrum.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Motormouth syndrome

Perhaps I am just having trouble with the adjustment of going from a child who had a limited and late vocabulary to an incessant one, but I find myself at a loss to curb my commenting and questioning child to a polite equilibrium. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond grateful that he can and does talk and is finally up to speed in that area, but I can't say that I'm always grateful for his timing or lack thereof. For example, we were visiting a new church today and he just could not keep himself from chattering away no matter how many times I shushed him and threatened no play ground time after church if he did not have good listening. He just could not help himself. During communion as the pastor said, "Here is Christ's body, broken for you..." Isaac very loudly asked, "Body broken? What's that mean?" "Shhh..." "Mom, tell me! What's body broken mean?" And later when standing between me and the person sitting beside me, "Pew! Something smells bad. Gross." I started silently praying that the woman beside me didn't suspect that he meant her. To his credit, it was her. God forgive me. Her clothes had that smell that clothes get when the dryer shuts off before the load is fully dry, slightly mildewed. In case you were wondering, I am mean and still didn't let him play on the play ground after church. I was a little too embarrassed to stick around.

While I know that kids are famous for the "from the mouths of babes" stuff, I also know that people on the spectrum sometimes struggle with what is appropriate and what is not appropriate to say. I can't help but think of the woman that Kim Stagliano mentions in her book for being fired from a store for not being to stop talking about babies and pregnancy to women buying pregnancy tests. Is Isaac going to be the kid that is constantly saying awkward things? He already gets some strange looks on the play ground for being a bit exuberant and forward when it comes to playing with other kids. A little girl asked him what he was doing the other day and he responded with one hand behind his back and a pointer in the air like a cartoon professor, "I am here to make new friends!" And sometimes he is the kid who is desperately trying to join in and not quite getting that the kids running away from him aren't playing a game of tag, but are actually trying to get away from him. That makes me sad, but I also know that that is life. In the meantime, we will keep working on context and a cure for motormouth syndrome.